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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT Belle Isle

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Transport:
  • Built in 1932 as SS Belle Isle at Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle, England
  • Launched, 4 April 1932
  • Delivered in May 1932
  • Purchased by the War Shipping Administration, 3 September 1942, at Halifax, Nova Scotia from Newfoundland Canada Ltd., Steam Ship Co., for $450,000.00
  • Bare bottom chartered to the War Department, date unknown
  • Commissioned USAT Belle Isle, 3 September 1942
  • During World War II Belle Isle operated between Boston and ports in Canada, Greenland, Iceland and the Caribbean
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Returned to the War Shipping Administration, 29 January 1946 at New York
  • Laid up, 1 May 1946 in the Maritime Commission National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Acquired by the War Department for a second time, 30 April 1946
  • Declared surplus to US Army needs, 11 December 1947
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 15 December 1947, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Sold, 20 July 1948, to China Industrial Corp., Ltd. (PD-X-453 dated 18 May 1948) for $154,000.00, Withdrawn 3 August 1948, reflagged China and renamed China Leader
  • Resold in 1949 to A. Magsaysay Inc. Manila, P.I., reflagged Philippines and renamed San Antonio
  • Final Disposition, mined and sunk of Woosung, China, 24 July 1950.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,960 gross tons
    Length 256'
    Beam 37'6"
    Draft 15'4"
    Speed 9 kts.
    Complement
    Officers unknown
    Enlisted, unknown
    Troopship Passenger Capacity 163
    Cargo Capacity 89,681 cu. ft.
    Cruise Radius 5,335 nm
    PropulsionReciprocating steam engine
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USAT Belle Isle
    Belle Isle 142k USAT Belle Isle moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Army Signal Corps. photo     		Troopships of World War II
    USAT Belle Isle history is from "Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles, Published by The Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The US Army Ship Index Back To The US Army Transport Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 5 February 2023